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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23977519">Trial and Error</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>ficlets [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, M/M, bucky barnes flirting, bucky barnes is a handsome disaster, not everything that worked in the 30s worked in 21st century, stevie disapproves wildly</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:54:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,951</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23977519</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky Barnes thinks he can ask Tony Stark out with that same charm he'd seduced all the ladies in 1930's. </p><p>Apparently, reality has another news for him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes &amp; Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>ficlets [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1551151</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>342</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Trial and Error</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>let's just assume at this point Bucky and Tony are friends, teetering on that tricky thread between friendship and something more.</p><p>warning: bucky calls steve a 'fat ass' in jest at some point. if that offends you, this is your warning. it's never meant in any patronizing or body shaming way AT ALL. just a stupid jest between two best friends who've forgotten to watch their words/manners around each other after decades.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Subtlety had never been Bucky's strongest suit.</p><p>He had the looks, the height, the charm, his brilliant smile and he simply went for it.</p><p>At least, that was what he used to do until he tried the same trick with Stark and Stark gave him the most condescending anyone could muster in their upside down position, stuck in a trap of cordwires with grease streaked across half of their face.</p><p>"I don't know what went wrong," he confessed when Steve demanded why he missed their sacred team dinner.</p><p>"I gave him a compliment and asked him out for a date and he looked me like I birthed Satan out of my womb."</p><p>Now it's Steve's turn to give him the look. Only, more... vertical. "That one. That's the exact face he made."</p><p>He saw Steve glancing at his reflection on the TV screen before ironing his face flat and taking a seat beside him.</p><p>With the sigh that he let out before he found his voice, one would think Steve was preparing for the biggest battle of his life.</p><p>"So, um.. what did you say to him?"</p><p>"I just told you -," Bucky began, glaring at the punk who cut him out with a hand up.</p><p>"In exact words."</p><p>Rolling his eyes, Bucky heaved out a sigh and sunk back into his sofa. With arms flexed across his chest, he defended himself.</p><p>"I said, 'nice rack you carry there, Stark. Mind letting me take it round for some ride'?"</p><p>The worst part was, hearing him repeat that out aloud.</p><p>Jesus Christ. That sounded so wrong in so many ways.</p><p>"Why the fuck did I say that?" He turned to Steve for answers.</p><p>Steve blinked out from his cringey face. He then scratched his head shrugged.</p><p>When Bucky narrowed his eyes at him, he bristled. "I don't know. You just - You do that - <em>used to</em> do that, all the time."</p><p>Regarding Bucky's twisted face carefully, he added, "Honestly, I don't know why most girls fell for that - but <em>of</em> <em>course</em>. I mean, you were also good looking and charming and er, all that," he saved himself as soon as Bucky directed a full blown murder glare in his direction.</p><p>With both his hands up in surrender, Bucky relented threatening him wordlessly. Instead, he slumped in his seat while Steve settled next to him.</p><p>After five minutes or so - spent observing his unconcerned best friend scroll through channels and laugh at some - he gave a hard kick to Steve's shin.</p><p>"Think I have anymore chance left  with him? Or did I just burn all out with that blunder."</p><p>Steve's gaze stayed fixed on the TV - now playing some crime drama - as he shrugged. Bucky gave another kick at his shin, with more force this time.</p><p>"Ow!" Steve yowled and glared, rubbing at the spot.</p><p>"Don't act. I know you ain't so fragile these days," he prodded the bruised area with his toes to aggravate the punk. "Tell me. You think there's a chance he'll say yes if I ask him again?"</p><p>"I don't know," Steve hissed batting his leg off.</p><p>Bucky simply started kicking with his other leg until Steve grabbed both and sat down on them firmly.</p><p>Now it's Bucky's time to struggle. "Fuck off, you fat ass. Getcho weight off of me."</p><p>But the punk wasn't a punk if he gave in.</p><p>So Bucky did instead. Giving one last feeble jerk to his right foot before throwing the white flag.</p><p>Eventually, Steve came around and tossed a half ass suggestion.</p><p>"Why don't you ask him again? And <em>don't</em>, word it like that this time." He gave a warning glare as he settled on Bucky's legs comfortably.</p><p>Punk.</p><p>-</p><p>So Bucky did. Try again, that was.</p><p>The very next day in fact.</p><p>Better (or worse) the very next morning, the very instant Stark popped out of the elevator dressed up to nine in his fancy ass suit that would make any sane person leer so forgive Bucky for being a weak, weak man.</p><p>An incredibly weak man who stuttered around his first cup of coffee, "Damn that ass."</p><p>Precisely in that second, the elevator opened again revealing Stevie fresh from his morning jog and he must have heard the trail end of that embarassing comment for he didn't even pause.</p><p>Simply jabbed at the button until the elevator closed with him inside and left : <em>I don't know who the fuck he is, no relation what so ever, I'm not even here, bye.</em></p><p>-</p><p>His third try went better.</p><p>At least marginally.</p><p>According to Bucky's consoling brain that was. (Regardless what kind of disappointed looks Stevie kept throwing his way for a week after.)</p><p>-</p><p>For his fourth attempt, Bucky decided to bring his ma with him.</p><p>Not physically but at least in memory;</p><p>He whipped up a cake with what he remembered of her recipe and it turned out that he replaced salt for sugar in it cause he ended up with a faceful of cake crumbs and a deathly glare to accompany his way back from the workshop.</p><p>-</p><p>It took Bucky a month and a half before he tried for the fifth time.</p><p>Because after the fourth attempt, he was convinced there was no sympathy left for him in high heavens. It was over.</p><p>This time, it's cold and windy.</p><p>August done right by the clumps of dark clouds hovering in the sky.</p><p>He couldn't sleep. His mind rattling too loudly for slumber so he packed a pocket knife to keep his hands occupied, a bottle of whiskey to numb his brain, a throw blanket around his shoulders and he sent himself to the rooftop.</p><p>He's watching the clouds pass and collide in rhythm to the hum of late night wild engines of motorcars and motorbikes when a nearby cough distrupted his floating thoughts.</p><p>He turned around to look when the person didn't speak up.</p><p>It's Stark.</p><p>In his loose jeans that somehow fitted snugly around his rear, a dark t-shirt and an umbrella in his right hand while his left disappeared into his jeans pocket.</p><p>His feet were bare and Bucky stared at them until the wheels inside his brain started to spin again.</p><p>When they do, his eyes snapped up to Stark's concerned face which wiped out clean the instance Bucky looked.</p><p>Balancing the now empty whiskey bottle between his thighs, Bucky gave him a wave. "Hey."</p><p>Stark, or Tony. Or Stark... he's not really sure anymore, quirked an unimpressed eyebrow at him.</p><p>Something about that same ol' condescension Bucky had come to familiarize himself with yanked out a bark of laughter from within him; too harsh, too loud and too scratchy to be humorous.</p><p>"Sorry," he apologized. Turning back to the sky above him.</p><p>Now that the presence of the umbrella in Stark's hand had alerted him to the rain, Bucky tuned in to the sound of its soft pitter-patter. And the feel of cold rain drops all over him.</p><p>The slight shuffling gave him a few seconds warning to Stark plopping down next to him.</p><p>Inches closer than he had when they were alone together all the times before this.</p><p>Body heat like a calming wave of comfort, and his smell - the cologne, the metal and his sweat - evoked a turbulent rush of unexplainable emotions out of Bucky that he sagged under its force heavily.</p><p>A warm hand that found his back to rub around in circles wasn't a surprise. But the one that gently coaxed his head to slump onto strong shoulder, was.</p><p>But welcomed - oh <em>god</em>, were they so very welcomed that Bucky had troubles pulling in his next breath.</p><p>They sat like that until it's easier - until <em>everything's</em> easier; thinking, comprehending, remembering and breathing.</p><p>Until Bucky was sure Stark's shoulder was numb. And his hand over Bucky's back was tired.</p><p>Reminiscent of all of their other lonely nights they've inadvertently shared because one had came across the other at the wrong time - stumbling but never leaving.</p><p>Just a presence. To assure; <em>this is me, i'm here, in this year and this time and this fucking place, not elsewhere.</em></p><p>Then Bucky remembered that this time, <em>this time</em>, Tony came to find him.</p><p>On purpose.</p><p>With an umbrella in his hand which was now wedged precariously between his neck and shoulder as he tapped on his phone quietly.</p><p>One hand still on Bucky's back, warm and resting. One shoulder <em>for Bucky</em>, another for an umbrella for both of their shelter from the rain and his other hand occupied with his work or whatnot.</p><p>Even as he lent a part of him <em>for Bucky.</em></p><p>As if it was nothing. As if this was normalcy - <em>their normalcy.</em></p><p>And there was something too tangible in there that Bucky found himself scared of threading. </p><p>But the part of him that <em>'never known subtle if it slapped across his face'</em>, the one that failed in his four attempts to ask Stark out, blurted out, "This is why I'm such a fool for you," and Stark's entire being went from lax to rock still in a flash.</p><p>Bucky straightened up, clammy palm went for his face to rub as he rasped out a quiet regretful <em>"Fuck."</em></p><p>He couldn’t bring himself to look at Stark after that blunder.</p><p>That was <em>too deep</em> and <em>raw</em>. </p><p>Something that swelled out from the very inside of him, something incredibly fragile that if he looked into Stark's eyes and got rejected again, he’d <em>break.</em></p><p>He kept the sweaty palm pressed to his rain soaked face even as his fingers started trembling. And his body shivered because he just -</p><p>He couldn’t -</p><p>Stark cleared his throat pointedly, but Bucky kept his head ducked. Hidden behind both hands clasped to his face.</p><p>After another try, Stark gave up getting him to look and asked, "So... All those times you said my ass looked great in many forms...,"</p><p>"Oh god," Bucky groaned, curling into himself.</p><p>The amused chuckle sent blood boiling up to Bucky's face and he rubbed at it more until it could be assumed red from all the friction and not the shame.</p><p>Finally, after he’d gathered all the courage in him too look up, he found Stark regarding him carefully. </p><p>Some remnant of amusement still flickering behind his clever eyes but at the same time, there was a lingering sort of fragility - the same one that twisted and turned within Bucky - that made the defensive posture slip off of Bucky's shoulder.</p><p>Finding a brand new hope in them, he swallowed and cleared his throat for his fifth try - because who the fuck cared how many times he had to try? For this fella? Bucky realised he'd do it over and over if he had too.</p><p>This time, he kept it simple. </p><p>Not consciously but rather because the moment he opened his mouth, the rain started pelting down on them.</p><p>They ran inside. Most of them soaked but part, still dry. </p><p>Bucky watched Stark shake his wet curls out of his eyes and asked, "Go out with me?"</p><p>-</p><p>Steve couldn’t say he'd never woken up to Bucky stepping on him. </p><p>Unfortunately, that had happened quite a number of times even while he was ill because Bucky was a jerk like that.</p><p>But he never thought he'd have to put up with the same assault to his 101 years old back.</p><p>"AGH, fuck -BUCKY!" He gasped from the force of a 200 pounds super soldier trampolining on his back. "What? The. Fuck."</p><p>"He said yes!" Bucky's delightful cheer echoed. "He fucking said <em><b>yes</b></em> to me, Stevie! Tony said yes!"</p><p>At some point, Steve simply gave up fighting - like he had with the future -resigning himself to being a trampoline for Bucky Barnes' Sunday ecstasy.</p>
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